Browsing by Author "d'Ippolito, Roberto"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Achieving rotorcraft noise and emissions reduction for 'Clean Sky' - The measurement of success
    (2015-12-31) Smith, Chrissy; Pachidis, Vassilios; Castillo Pardo, Alejandro; Gires, Ezanee; Stevens, Jos; Thevenot, Laurent; d'Ippolito, Roberto
    This paper describes the work done and strong interaction between Cranfield University as member of the Technology Evaluator (TE) team , Green Rotorcraft (GRC) Integrated Technology Demonstrator (ITD) and Sustainable and Green Engine (SAGE) ITD of the Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative (JTI). The aim of Clean Sky is to develop and integrate new and innovative technologies that will hel p meeting the emission and noise reduction targets set by the Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in Europe (ACARE) for aircraft of next generation. The GRC and SAGE ITDs are responsible for developing new helicopter airframe and engine t echnologies respectively, whilst the TE has the distinctive role of assessing the environmental impact of these technologies at single flight (mission), airport and Air Transport System levels (ATS). Cranfield University as a member of the TE is responsibl e for the mission trajectory definition and for conducting the environmental performance assessments . The assessments reported herein have been performed by using a GRC - developed multi - disciplinary simulation framework called PhoeniX (Platform Hosting Oper ational and Environmental Investigations for Rotorcraft) that comprises various computational modules. These modules include a rotorcraft performance code (EUROPA), an engine performance and emissions simulation tool (GSP) and a noise prediction code (HELE NA). PhoeniX can predict the performance of a helicopter along a prescribed 4D trajectory offering a complete helicopter mission analysis. In the context of the TE assessments reported herein, three helicopter classes are examined, namely a Twin Engine Lig ht (TEL) configuration, for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and Police missions, and a Single Engine Light (SEL) configuration for Passenger/Transport missions, and a Twin Engine Heavy (TEH) configuration for Oil & Gas missions. The different technologies assessed reflect three simulation points which are the ‘Baseline’ Year 2000 technology, ‘Reference’ Y2020 technology, without Clean Sky benefits, and finally the ‘Conceptual’, reflecting Y2020 technology with Clean Sky benefits. The results of this study i llustrate the potential that incorporated technologies possess in terms of improving performance and gas emission metrics such as fuel burn, CO2, NOx as well as the noise footprint on the ground.
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    Multi-objective optimization of a regenerative rotorcraft powerplant: quantification of overall engine weight and fuel economy
    (American Helicopter Society (AHS), 2015-07-30) Ali, Fakhre; Tzanidakis, Konstantinos; Goulos, Ioannis; Pachidis, Vassilios; d'Ippolito, Roberto
    A computationally efficient and cost effective simulation framework has been implemented to perform design space exploration and multi-objective optimization for an advanced regenerative rotorcraft powerplant configuration at mission level. The proposed framework is developed by coupling a comprehensive rotorcraft mission analysis code with a design space exploration and optimization package. The overall approach is deployed to design and optimize the powerplant of a reference twin-engine light rotorcraft, modelled after the Bo105 helicopter, manufactured by Airbus Helicopters. Firstly, a sensitivity analysis of the regenerative engine is carried out to quantify the interrelationship between the engine thermodynamic cycle design parameters, engine weight, and overall mission fuel economy. Secondly, through the execution of a multi-objective optimization strategy, a Pareto front surface is constructed, quantifying the optimum trade-off between the fuel economy offered by a regenerative engine and the associated weight penalty. The optimum sets of cycle design parameters obtained from the structured Pareto front suggest that the employed heat exchanger effectiveness is the key design parameter affecting the engine weight and fuel efficiency. Furthermore, through quantification of the benefits suggested by the acquired Pareto front, it is shown that, the fuel economy offered by the simple cycle rotorcraft engine can be substantially improved with the implementation of regeneration technology, without degrading the payload-range and airworthiness (One- Engine-Inoperative) requirements of the rotorcraft.
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    Optimized powerplant configurations for improved rotorcraft operational performance
    (American Helicopter Society International (AHS), 2015-07-30) Fakhre, Ali; Tzanidakis, Konstantinos; Goulos, Ioannis; Pachidis, Vassilios; d'Ippolito, Roberto
    This paper presents an integrated multidisciplinary rotorcraft design and optimization framework, deployed for the design and assessment of a conceptual rotorcraft powerplant configuration at mission level. The proposed approach comprises a wide-range of individual modeling theories applicable to rotorcraft flight dynamics, gas turbine engine performance and weight estimation as well as a novel physics-based, stirred reactor model for the rapid estimation of gas turbine gaseous emissions. A novel Single-Objective and Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimizer is coupled with the aforementioned integrated rotorcraft multidisciplinary design framework. The combined approach is applied to the multidisciplinary design and optimization of a reference Twin Engine Light civil rotorcraft modeled after the Eurocopter Bo105 helicopter, operating on representative mission scenario. Through the application of Single-Objective optimization, optimum engine design configurations are acquired in terms of mission fuel consumption, engine weight and gaseous emissions at constant technology level. Multi-Objective studies are carried out in order to quantify the optimum interrelationship between mission fuel consumption and gaseous emissions for the representative Twin Engine Light rotorcraft operation and a variety of engine configurations. The proposed approach essentially constitutes an enabler in terms of focusing the multidisciplinary design of rotorcraft powerplants to realistic, three-dimensional operations and towards the realization of associated engine design tradeoffs at mission level.